San Francisco, CA vs Long Beach, CA
Side-by-side fiscal comparison · U.S. Census Bureau data (2023)
San Francisco, CA outspends Long Beach, CA by a wide margin per resident — $184,131 versus $34,250, a 438% difference. A gap this size usually reflects a structurally different service mix or accounting scope rather than a single line item.
Long Beach, CA holds the stronger Fiscal Health Score, 67/100 (grade B) against 48/100 (grade D) for San Francisco, CA — a 19-point spread that puts the two in different grade territory.
Long Beach, CA reports no outstanding debt per resident in its Census filing, while San Francisco, CA carries $2,031 per resident. Both cities pour the most per-resident dollars into the same function: parks and recreation leads in San Francisco, CA at $4,119 per resident and in Long Beach, CA at $698.
They also fund themselves differently: intergovernmental transfers is the largest single revenue source in San Francisco, CA at 7% of total revenue, whereas Long Beach, CA relies most on other revenue at 12%.
Summary
San Francisco spends 437.6% more per capita than Long Beach ($149,881/person difference). Long Beach, CA has the stronger Fiscal Health Score (B, 67/100).
Fiscal Health Score
Key Metrics
Per Capita Spending by Department
Revenue Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Property Tax | $148 | $0 |
| Sales Tax | $3,028 | $36 |
| Income Tax | $269 | $1,760 |
| Intergovernmental | $19,762 | $1,688 |
| Charges & Fees | $7,961 | $2,424 |
| Other | $18,918 | $8,836 |
Spending Breakdown (Per Capita)
| Police | $3,351 | $0 |
| Fire Protection | $2,281 | $0 |
| Public Welfare | $2,203 | $1,317 |
| Health | $1,911 | $477 |
| Hospitals | $6,939 | $2,751 |
| Parks & Recreation | $4,119 | $698 |
| Housing | $9,315 | $5,782 |
| Sewerage | $1,423 | $86 |
| Utilities | $21,190 | $3,889 |
| Interest on Debt | $22,798 | $2,718 |
| General Admin | $14,899 | $0 |
| Other | $93,702 | $16,533 |
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Source: Census Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances, 2026.